Studies of Jocopherol Deficiency in Infants and Children

Abstract

Although concentrations of tocopherol in tissues or blood and estimates of dietary intake have been used as indices of vitamin E nutrition, the absence in man of recognized clinical, biochemical, or physiological correlations of vitamin E deficiency has hindered interpretation of the findings. 1 Rose and Gyorgy 2 have established that hemolysis of erythrocytes in dilute solutions of hydrogen peroxide can be used as an index of tocopherol deficiency in rats and have reported that some newborn full-term infants show this evidence of deficiency. 3 In previous studies, we have reported the presence of positive hemolysis tests in premature and full-term infants fed partially skimmed cows' milk mixtures, in unfed newborn infants, both full-term and premature, and in infants and children with steatorrhea associated with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas or biliary atresia.* It is the purpose of this report to present data correlating plasma tocopherol levels and hemolysis in